What Are Dentures?
Certain diseases or trauma can damage your teeth and in some cases lead to their extraction. Do not put off their repair or replacement. This can cause significant and sometimes irreversible damage to your mouth. Today, there is a wide variety of dentures to restore or replace your teeth.
Dentures artificially replace natural teeth and gums to maintain the shape of the face, but also good chewing and speech. They can be used to replace one or more missing teeth or the entire dentition.
Types of Dentures
Whether you need dentures to replace one missing tooth, a row of teeth or a whole jaw, your dentist can help you decide on the right option for you.
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Full Dentures
Your dentist will use full dentures, commonly referred to as false teeth or complete dentures, if you are missing a whole jaw of teeth.
You can have them fitted for your upper or lower gums, and they are held in place by suction and/or with the help of an oral adhesive.
Full dentures can be removed for cleaning and sleeping.
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Partial Dentures
Your dentist will use partial dentures if you are missing more than a few teeth or if your surrounding teeth are not strong enough to support a dental bridge.
Partial dentures are made up of one or more artificial teeth held in place by clasps that fit onto your natural teeth or a tooth replacement like a dental crown.
They can be removed for cleaning and sleeping.
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Implant-Supported Dentures
If there is not enough gum tissue to support full dentures, dental implants may be used to help stabilize the dentures for a secure fit.
The complete removable prosthesis clipped on implants replaces all the teeth of a jaw. Your dentist first installs the implants (usually 4) on which he will screw press buttons or a Dolder bar. He will then clip the dental prosthesis onto the snaps or the Dolder bar.
Why Dentures May Be Used
If you lose all of your teeth, facial muscles can sag, making you look older. Dentures can also help fill out the appearance of your face and profile. They can be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance does not change much.
Filling in a gap caused by missing teeth is also crucial to your long-term oral health. By fitting you for dentures, your dentist will also help protect your remaining teeth from shifting, which can lead to more serious issues like gum disease.